Things Change
by Merry Harkness
Summary: On a September morning Harry and Ginny Potter meet an old friend they have seen in fifteen years. Not '19 Years Later' compliant. Oneshot that has a very angry Ronald.


**A.N. Hello! I know I should be writing Children of the Night but I've had this in my head and I needed to get it down on the computer before it would stop bothering me. I know it isn't brilliant and it has quite a few holes in it and it is an overused idea but i wanted to do it. Anyway, here you go...**

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**THINGS CHANGE**

On the first fresh, bright September morning of the year, all over England families were waking up and preparing to take their children to King's Cross Station where the younger generation would depart for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In towns and cities the last items were hastily being thrown into trunks and having the lids slammed down upon them, only to be opened once the students had been sorted and fed. The events in the Potter household were no different.

"James Sirius Potter get here right now, we're leaving!" An exasperated Ginny Potter yelled up the stairs at her eldest son. A steady thumping noise resonated around the house as James appeared at the top of the stairs, trunk behind him, and then proceeded to drag himself and his heavy baggage down the stairs and out of the door.

Once he was outside and the Potter patriarch, Harry, was helping the twelve year old lift his bags into the car, Ginny gave the entrance hall a quick once over before summoning the house keys from their position on the sideboard and swiftly closed the door and locked it behind her.

Finally James, along with his eleven year old brother Albus and little sister Lily had scrambled into the back seat of the Potter's modest vehicle and Harry started the engine.

"We're on the way to Hogwarts!" screeched an overexcited Albus, causing the remaining inhabitants of the car to cover their ears in protest before Ginny spoke up to reprimand him.

"Do you think you'll be in Slytherin Al?"

"I won't! I won't be in Slytherin!" Harry, Ginny and Lily all simultaneously sighed as the argument between the two brothers that had ensued for the better part of a fortnight resumed once more.

"James, stop annoying your brother until we get to the station. We're almost there." Harry attempted to bring peace to his family and so the boys in the back quietened down as they drove the last few miles to King's Cross. Once again the Potters piled out of their car and proceeded into the station with their laden trolleys.

The red haired Lily trailed behind her brothers, now crying as she held her iron grip on her father's arm. She was now upset that she wasn't joining her brothers at Hogwarts this year.

"It won't be long, and you'll be going too," Harry told her

"Two years," the small girl sniffed. "I want to go now!"

Harry notice that the commuters were giving them funny glances as they pushed past with their trunks and owl cages. Albus' voice could then be heard drifting over the constant noise of a train station as James continued to torment his brother as he had in the car.

"I won't! I won't be in Slytherin" shrieked Albus, almost red faced with rage at his brother's teasing.

"Oh for goodness sake James, give it a rest!" said Ginny. "If I catch you tormenting your brother once more today you won't be going to Hogwarts this year and you'll be staying home with us."

Catching his mother's eye and hearing the anger in her words he fell silent. Glancing forward James saw that his father, brother and sister had already crossed the border between the muggle and magical worlds and ran towards the brick wall.

As she emerged from the gateway Ginny caught up with her husband and softly murmured in his ear.

"Do you think Hermione will be here this year? I wish she hadn't just left and not reappeared. I just want to apologise for my brother's embarrassing behaviour."

"I hope she is Gin, I just want to know she's safe again." Unbidden, Harry's mind flicked back to the day, almost fifteen years ago, that the bushy, brown haired witch had left their lives.

It had been an argument with Ron that sent Hermione away. She had been at home preparing their dinner when he waltzed in completely drunk and had proceeded to spew his thoughts about her. He'd come home from an evening in the pub, where there had been many beautiful and scantily clad women, to what he thought of as a plain and boring little home in which sat a boring and plain little witch. Laying all he had with him on the table, he had poured forth all the bad qualities he thought were Hermione's: her conservative style of dress, her lack of interest for much other than books and work, her constant criticism of him and many other things. In response to this tirade she had gathered all her belongings and on the same night had left the wizarding world. Only once did she contact Harry or Ginny after that and that was to write a letter explaining her sudden absence.

Ginny had been furious with her brother that he let Hermione just leave but soon her anger cooled and she could be civil around him and rebuilt half of the brother-sister bond that she had with him before Hermione left. Since that time Hermione had not been seen or heard from by the Weasleys, the Potters or most of the magical community.

Harry's thought were interrupted by a harsh squeal as he saw Ron and his wife Padma, née Patil, approach with their children, Eleanor and Jacob. Eleanor looked identical to her mother and had adopted many of the same characteristics, including the squealing, but Jacob was a little unlike either of his parents, he had Padma's complexion and a darker for of Ron's hair but in personality he was a quiet and secretive boy.

Both Ginny and Harry prepared themselves for what would undoubtedly be an excruciating quarter of an hour until the train left.

"Ron, Padma. How nice it is to see you. How are you?" Ginny plastered a grin on her face and tried to imbue her words with as much friendliness as possible.

"Ginny, we're fine, how're you?" Ron stepped forward as if to embrace his sister but Ginny shuffled backwards to avoid his arms. Instead she turned to Padma and hesitantly wrapped her arms around the young woman before kissing the two children on their cheeks. Ginny was not one to inflict the hate she felt towards Ron on his wife and children, no matter how annoying she found the family.

Harry hugged his eldest son, who wriggled out of his father's embrace and ran off in search of some friends as his trunk had been loaded, and then turned towards his son. Albus then leaned in and whispered something in Harry's ear and then the pair wandered off to find somewhere secluded where they could talk.

Whilst Harry and Albus chatted, Ginny never stopped casting her eyes around the platform, looking for the elusive woman that she always hoped to see. Her eyes were drawn to a small family of three that were standing a little way away.

"Look who it is." Ron pointed towards the three figures that were almost silhouetted against the scarlet of the engine.

Platinum blonde hair glinted in the morning sunlight and both Ginny and Ron recognised the familiar form of Draco Malfoy who was standing facing them while his wife embraced a small person in front of them. By this time Eleanor and Jacob had caught on to what the Weasley siblings were looking at and Lily remained by her mother's side.

Malfoy looked as he ever did, proud and aristocratic, but his wife, even from the back, had a different air about her. She had chestnut curls that stretched the length of her back. Some were pulled up into a half pony tail at the back of her head while the rest were left to shine. The mystery woman gave off a sense of motherliness and calm while her husband talked in hushed tones to both her and their son, who was now revealed to the small party watching them.

"So that's little Scorpius," Ron said under his breath. "Eleanor you are not to go near him at all, do you hear me?" Little Eleanor nodded in affirmation but Padma was less than pleased.

"Ronald, for heaven's sake, do be reasonable. Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school."

"Right…err….anyway. If you're not it Gryffindor we'll disinherit you, Eleanor." Ron seemed to be searching for another conversation that he could start.

"Ronald Weasley!" Padma all be screeched drawing the glances of all around her including Malfoy's mystery wife.

Ginny had not stopped looking at her, searching for some distinguishing feature and as Harry returned with Albus she pointed out the woman to him as well. Now she had turned around Ginny could see the woman's face and it seemed familiar. Like a long lost memory. Suddenly realisation hit her like a tonne of bricks.

"Hermione…" she managed to stutter. Ron looked around dazed and slightly fearful.

"Where?"

Just then the whistle on the Hogwarts Express let forth one long, shrill note, telling everyone on the platform to say their last goodbyes and to clamber onto the train. Ginny began to get a little tearful as she watched her youngest son climb aboard with his elder brother and Eleanor. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the Malfoys saying farewell to their son as well.

As the train glided away, carrying with it the future of the Potters, Ginny steeled herself and walked calmly over to the remaining members of the Malfoy family. As she advanced towards them she saw even more similarities between her long lost friend and the woman before her.

"Draco, don't you think we should go over and say hello." Mrs Malfoy was talking quietly with her husband as she overcame that fact that her young boy had moved on and was on his way to Hogwarts.

"I don't know, love. They were your friends but do you want to be in touch with them after all these years?" Draco Malfoy was uncertain of the reaction that they would glean from the remaining two thirds of the Golden Trio if they were to reintroduce themselves to the world. Just then Draco spotted an advancing red head over his wife's shoulder.

"It looks like we don't have much choice anymore, my dear." Swiftly he leant down and planted a soft kiss on her lips before straightening out and looking towards Mrs Potter.

"Hermione, is that you?" Ginny asked as she neared the couple. Steeling herself Hermione turned round to face her old friend.

She could see that Ginny had changed very little in fifteen years. Time had done her many favours as she had maintained her luscious red hair and her youthful face. Freckles were now few and far between but Hermione could still recognise her best friend under all that time had changed.

"Gin, how are you?" Hermione's reply was soft and calm, not betraying the turmoil of emotions that she felt inside. "It's been a long time." Draco wrapped his arm around her in a gesture of love and support as Ginny continued to stand before them, overwhelmed by the situation.

Unbeknownst to her Ron had now turned around and was then staring at Ginny and the Malfoy couple with a look of disbelief and anger on his face. He looked as if he were going to explode as he stalked towards his sister and old friend and yanked on the red head's arm.

"What the hell are you doing Ginny? That's Malfoy's wife you're talking to. Do you remember what he did to us?" Ron was livid and already almost shouting, drawing panicked glances from the few remaining parents on Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Hermione stepped back in shock, no quite expecting the strength of the anger that Ron exhibited. Ginny then rounded on her brother and exploded.

"Yes I do know that my good friend Hermione here is the new Mrs Malfoy and yes I do remember what a prat Malfoy was a Hogwarts. However I can see, with my eyes Ronald that Malfoy has changed." Ginny felt so outraged at her brother's accusations that she still felt honour obliged to help her friend defend herself, even after all those years.

Seeing his sister was a lost cause, Ron rounded on the other woman before and started to berate her.

"HERMIONE! What the hell are you playing at? You traitor, we trusted you with our lives and this is how you repay us. I'm glad you left if this is what you decided to do with your life. You have betrayed everything we worked so hard for. Do you remember how many people lost their lives to fight this…this…Ferret?" Ron's face grew redder and redder with every word he spoke until he was positively maroon all over. Hermione meanwhile had never lost her calm expression and now started to walk towards the fuming boy just as Padma advanced from behind him to try and drag him back, all the time pouring forth apologies to Hermione.

Hermione stopped a foot or so in front of Ron and looked him right in the eye.

"Weasel," she calmly acknowledged him. "What an unpleasant surprise." She smirked a typical Malfoy smirk that neither Ron nor any other of the Weasleys expected to see from Hermione Granger, the Golden Girl.

Ron took two steps back in surprise.

"You're not Hermione. Hermione would never smirk nor call me a Weasel." he stuttered.

"Things change Mr Weasley," she replied maliciously. "And how things have changed for me."

Ron gave Hermione one more panicked and astonished look before retreating back to his wife and allowed her to pull him back through the gateway and out to the main station. Once he had left Hermione graced her face with a smile and turned so that she stood opposite a very impressed Ginny.

"Wow 'Mione, the years certainly have helped your self-confidence. Where's that timid little girl that we knew?"

"Well, I'm afraid Draco could never bring himself to marry a woman who couldn't defend herself with words and a wand. Safe to say I've had a little too much practice what with Lucius being my father in law." She gave a dry chuckle as Draco snaked an arm round her waist.

"Love, why don't we take this back home? Would you like to accompany us home, Mr and Mrs Potter? I think my wife has much that she wishes to discuss with you and it is better to do it in the warm, I think." Draco motioned for the Potters to precede them and as she went out into Kings Cross Station, Hermione thought of all the wonderful things that would happen now that she was whole once more.

Her friends had returned and she had the perfect husband and son. She could ask for no more.

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**I hope you liked it, if you didn't don't worry. Please leave a positive or negative review as constructive criticism helps and makes me want to write more. I will try to get another chapter of Children of the Night up before my half term but I am making no promises as I am in the middle of some massive exams that will affect the chances on me going to Uni. Thanks for reading.**

**Merry x**


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